The View
by MeteorLeopard
Summary: New jobs are never really easy to adapt to and unpredictable schedules are even worse! It was like being a rookie-doctor! Of course, there were some perks to being a substitute... a white-haired captain being one of them.
1. The View

_Right! This story is under the Author 'MeteorLeopard' but keep in mind that there's TWO of us sharing this account __ (Our own reasons, never mind) _

_So this story is written by SugarFox, part of the duo that owns the MeteorLeopard Profile. This is SugarFox's first one-shot on the site so enjoy _

_Title: The View_

_Author: MeteorLeopard (SugarFox)_

Karin was sitting in her favourite place where nobody, well almost no one could find her. Nobody knew how much she loved to hide on the roof except him. The short white-haired shinigami captain was the only one who knew about her favourite place to hide and think things through, and strangely he had the same way of thinking as her and also loved hiding on the roofs on high unreachable buildings. She thought of him with a small smile. She hadn't seen him in months but of course they had just won a war beating that Aizen bastard and restoring peace to Karakura town. She hoped that she might be able to see him soon but he was busy and she was busy making the chances very slim.

They had parted as close friends when she was still that young clueless girl and not the older more mature almost young woman she was now. He had played soccer with her and helped her out of a bind with those stupid middle scholars. She hadn't noticed but it had really crept up on her and before she noticed his icy personality had melted her heart and she fell in love with him - ironic really. She was worried that when, or if, she saw him again whether he would match up to the guy she had fallen in love with during his absence.

Obviously, he didn't know that she loved him, and she wasn't going to tell him and ruin a perfectly good friendship like a lot of other girls in her class did. She missed him and it was at times like these that she wished he were with her. It was beautiful, the stars the moon and the dark silhouette of the mysterious town melting together creating and unreal painting in shades of black silver and white, glowing with an almost magical feel. She knew Toushirou loved sunsets the most but even he wouldn't fail to see the immense beauty and relaxing nature of this secret spot and she wished once more he was here with her. "Stop wishing things that can't and won't happen!" She scolded herself aloud.

It was perfect and the only thing that was ruining this was the stupid, uncomfortable, but stunning turquoise mini dress that Yuzu had wrestled her into before dragging her out the house with an iron grip. She had already discarded those painful black monstrosity heels that Yuzu had lent her but she couldn't really strip down to her underwear in public. She could hear the steady beat of the music in the school hall and she heaved a sigh of relief that Jinta had distracted Yuzu long enough for Karin to make her escape from the sweaty crowded hall filled with streamers, balloons and her boring classmates. None of whom she had any desire to spend time with at a corny school dance.

Yuzu had been quite upset when Karin had told her she wasn't attending the Spring dance because it was lame and she had better things to do with her time. Yuzu had been so upset and wouldn't stop crying which prodded Ichigo to take Karin aside and threaten her with his hollow transformation if she didn't fix it. After a whole guilt trip from her older sibling she had agreed to go in a defeated tone and that is how she ended up going to a corny dance without a date only to end up hiding on the roof. It's sad really, she thought and heaved a peaceful sigh hoping that this dance would be over soon so that she could go home and climb into her warm bed with dreams of Toushirou for company.

She ran through the last few months in her mind and her fingers caressed the small substitute shinigami badge that was attached to her wrist where it could be accesses easily if need be. She had actually inherited Kon from Ichigo but she would rather parade around in a Chappy bunny suit, singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' in the middle of Soul Society than leave her body to the perverted hands of Kon the plushy. She had become a substitute shinigami under Urahara-san's careful training and taken over looking after the town now that Ichigo was staying in Soul Society. Ichigo was now a semi-permanent fixture in Soul Society and was currently acting as the stand in captain of the 5th squad until Momo had achieved Bankai and could run it efficiently herself. The Captains had decided that after Aizen's betrayal it was the least she deserved to replace him and take charge of her squad. Then Ichigo would become the Captain of the 13th Squad so Ukitake could retire in peace and know his squad was to be left in good hands. Rukia had quite coincidentally replaced his two vice captains that had been killed during the war. Apparently, they had been arguing about who was the 13th captain's favourite and in their distraction they were savagely attacked by a minor hollow who managed to catch them at this disadvantage, and it wasn't pretty. It really was a sad way to die, Karin thought to herself, and decided that she should probably rejoin the party or Yuzu would have her head on one of those silver baking platters she loved to serve canapés on. What is a canapé anyway?

She stood up and fixed the dress trying to make it cover more, just feeling more revealing with each tug, before pausing for a second. Suddenly the badge on her wrist went wild and Karin welcomed the excuse to abandon the party. A minor hollow, it seemed, and she grabbed Yuzu' shoes, jumped off the ceiling doing a flash step in midair quickly making her way to the hollow's location. She reached the park in less than a minute and used her badge to abandon her body by a tree before fighting the hollow. She turned to face it head on and drew her zanpaktou slicing through it in one quick swipe before it had even registered her presence. She was basking in her quick and easy victory when she heard the town clock chime 11pm and she shrieked, she had promised Yuzu that she would be ready and waiting to go by quarter to 11! She was on the roof way longer than she thought.

She jumped back into her body and flash stepped back to the school at the speed of light noticing another reiatsu approaching the park. It felt familiar but she was too far to sense it anymore and she wasn't turning back or her head really would be sharing a tray with those canapés when Yuzu saw her. Yuzu was waiting for her and didn't comment on her disappearance or her late coming which was unusual and they slowly made their way home. Karin felt a slight spiritual presence while she was leaving the park in her haste and wasn't sure but for some reason she felt sad when it faded away. Like a long lost friend that she hadn't really forgotten but didn't quite remember either.

Toushirou was seriously annoyed. Not really, at anyone in particular, just annoyed in general. All right, he really shouldn't be lying to himself. He was annoyed with Masumoto. She requested some shopping time in the real world and Yamamoto taicho granted it and sent him along to keep an eye on her. Why did they keep sending him to do amateur work in the real world if he was a captain? It seemed like he was going to be staying at Inoue's house again like last time and he felt sick just thinking about her cooking.

He'd had it rough lately and although he knew, he was actually huffy with himself for constantly thinking of Kurosaki Karin instead of getting on with his life. He hadn't seen her in months and it was probably better that way since they weren't supposed to make friends on earth anyway. She was different though and she understood him and treated him the same as everyone else. The truth was that he had realized when he said goodbye last time, the worried look in her eyes, for her brother, Soul Society, and for him made him feel bad for leaving her. At first, he thought that it was just guilt but it developed into longing and soon he realized that he missed her. Her laugh, her smile, her way of teasing him, her beautiful eyes, and even when she beat him at soccer. He didn't have to like it but he still missed it nonetheless. He missed her and he realized that he had fallen for Ichigo's sister harder than freaking granite.

The sad thing was that facts remained she was human and he was a shinigami and she probably wouldn't ever fall in love with him or love him the way her loved her. Maybe that's the real reason why he hadn't gone to visit her because he didn't know if he could pretend like there was nothing going on when there was actually was. He sighed and looked at his communicator to see if he was going the right way. Yup, the hollow he got orders to kill should be here somewhere but when he looked around he realized it wasn't and he felt a spirit pressure slowly fade away. That must be the young female shinigami that replaced Ichigo, Toushirou decided and saw that she had taken care of the problem for him.

He spent more time wandering around before deciding to go and visit Karin. He hadn't seen her in months, since before the war, and suddenly decided that he desperately wanted to see her. Surely, a visit on the basis of friendship is permissible? He slowly made his way towards her house wondering what she would say and what he could say. Mentally preparing his cold mask he always wore as Captain. He reached her house and made his way to her bedroom window. He knew he probably shouldn't peek in but he wasn't sure what to do or where he would find her, so he took a quick look and gasped. Lying on her bedroom floor in a turquoise mini dress was Karin's unmoving body and with a feeling of dread, he dove through the window rushed to her side.

Karin was sitting on the roof again, except this time it was her own roof and she was in her shinigami uniform. She had abandoned her body in her room so she could sit alone undisturbed on the roof or else the neighbors would have thought she was weird. She decided to quickly flash step to Urahara's to see if he had a soul candy for her because she was getting tired of dragging her body everywhere and making sure she didn't get admitted to hospital. She was halfway there when she realized it was 2am and everyone would be asleep, turned around, and went home. She sat down on the roof quickly and sighed in contentment, she loved being able to sit out here without being seen but she should probably go to bed. She climbed down and jumped in through her window before noticing a movement in the room and stopping in her tracks with surprise.

"Toushirou?" she asked surprised watching the white haired captain standing over her body trying to find out why she was collapsed on the floor. He turned towards her quickly and sighed with relief, her heart contracting realizing he was really here. She suddenly didn't know what came over her but she lunged at him giving him a firm but quick hug and then released him quickly. He was surprised but still didn't say anything looking her up and down in her shinigami uniform.

"I haven't seen you in ages what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I have no idea. I was sent here on a mission to look after Masumoto so she doesn't run up the bills for the tenth Squad by buying Jimmy Choos and decided to visit you while she was shopping. On the other hand, I didn't know that you were a shinigami so when I came through your window I saw your lifeless body and I was sure you were dead. Note to self, remember to find out if your friends are shinigami, it might save you the heart attack." He said grinning, and Toushirou blushed slightly himself at her sudden hug but he had covered it with that friendly teasing that they always had before he left.

He looked her up and down and decided that she was definitely just as beautiful as he remembered, maybe more. She was slightly taller fuller in more places and more adult. The uniform suited her and her zanpaktou was strapped to her back the same as his.

"Sorry I thought you knew I had taken over Ichigo's work." She told him sheepishly before she realized that he was actually here and not one of her dreams and she blushed when she realized that she had actually hugged him on an impulse. She brushed it off and started to tease him in the same tone he used with her. "Well you should have seen how it looked to me! I go out for a quick breath of fresh air and when I come in through my window, you're man-handling my lifeless body. If I didn't know any better I'd say you looked like a pervert Shiro-chan." She grinned.

"I am not a pervert! And don't call me that!" Toushirou yelled at her, a vein popping in his eyebrow. He was getting seriously annoyed with her and he was trying to recall if he remembered this side of her, and he did. Way too clearly.

"Good thing Ichi-nii is in soul society or you would be toast when he finds you here in my room with me. He will think completely wrong thoughts!" she leaned forward and ruffled his hair, which was slightly more difficult than last time because he seemed to have grown a few inches like her.

"Would you shut up! You have no idea what you are talking about!" Toushirou was fuming but she just laughed.

"Good to know some people never change. You are just as easy to wind up as the last time I saw you."

Toushirou paused and looked at the girl in front of him. She was still the same Karin even if she was a little older and a shinigami. He hadn't realized how much he was in love with her until he saw her again and the feeling swelled up inside him. "Yeah well your attitude hasn't changed much either." He replied getting over his momentary annoyance.

Karin suddenly remembered the view from the school roof and how she had wished he was with her to see it too. Well it was still dark for another few hours and there was no reason that she couldn't still show him. Karin walked over to her lifeless body and went back into it before standing up in her stupid dress. Toushirou wasn't sure what exactly she was doing but she was so beautiful in that dress, it showed off her curves nicely too. Karin walked over to her bed and climbed into it as if she was going to sleep and covered herself with a duvet. Toushirou looked at her puzzled and then saw her take out her Substitute shinigami badge and split herself from her body again. "What was that all about?" he asked confused and she grinned.

"Well I need to make it look like I'm in bed so that if Yuzu comes in she will think I'm sleeping. It's too much of a pain to drag the body there so I just moved it there quickly."

"Oh ok then. So what now." He asked her with genuine interest not really minding what they did as long as he could stay with her.

"We are going for a lil walk flash step style since I have something I want to show you." She grinned at him and she beckoned for him to follow her while she jumped out of the window. Toushirou followed her and surprised by how fast she was, he pushed himself a little faster. Suddenly she stopped on a roof and sat down taking him by surprise. He stopped and sat down beside her. "What exactly are we doing on the roof of your school?" He asked staring the young girl up and down. She really was something else.

"Shhhh…" she said and pointed straight ahead of her with a small smile. Toushirou looked at the spot she pointed out and gasped at the beautiful view.

"Wow, it's beautiful." He breathed.

Karin gave a small sigh and whispered, "It is isn't it. It shows all the peace and serenity in Karakura town since the war ended. The most gorgeous view."

Toushirou was amazed at the beautiful view but he was more interested in the young girl sitting beside him. "Karin?"

"Ne Toushirou?"

"Why did you become a shinigami?" He didn't know what prompted him to ask this question but it seemed to be the right one to ask.

Karin didn't look surprised by this question and paused thinking of the best way to answer. "Well once you left I confronted Ichi-nii about everything and the truth came out. I felt so useless spending my days playing soccer when I could be helping fight in the war. I spoke to Urahara and he agreed to train me so I could at least dispatch minor hollow while Ichi-nii was away but it turned out I had more power than he expected and I achieved shikai in just 3 months. He was very surprised and we all know Urahara, he was doing flick flacks off the ceiling."

"So you became a shinigami so you could help." He said more as a statement than a question.

Toushirou's gaze was on her and she adverted her eyes away so she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. She answered him in a quiet voice, "Well, sort of, I first wanted to become a shinigami so I could help but over time… I clung to it because it gave me a connection to you and your world. I guess didn't realize how much I missed you and wanted you around until I didn't know if you were ever going to come back."

That was not what he had expected to hear and a million things were rushing through his head. She wanted him around... "You became a shinigami because you missed me?" he asked bewildered. She shrugged not saying anything.

"Well I am a captain and too important to take missions in the real world or even have any kind of relationship with humans because it is too risky for us, but I came to Karakura town to see you because I missed you too." He said softly and smiled at her when she looked up at him in amazement at his revelation. Her eyes met his and time slowed down, he was very confused and he just wanted to lean in and kiss her warm soft lips. Karin was confused and she felt her heart do one of those flippy thingies they talk about in Yuzu's corny romance books. She should really stop reading those. She made a mental note whilst staring into his deep azure eyes. She just so badly wanted to kiss him it felt like her heart would burst if she didn't.

Toushirou didn't have time to react before she grabbed him and gave him a quick kiss full of emotion and uncertainty, putting her heart and her happiness in his hands. He had just started to kiss her back when she broke away, "Sorry." she mumbled, and a deep blush started to spread across her sheepish face. She couldn't believe she just kissed him and she needed to get away before all her feelings overflowed and she ruined their friendship. She got up quickly to leave but he stood up quickly too and stopped her, grabbing her wrist and pulled her towards him again so their lips were kissing distance away again.

He couldn't believe what just happened, Karin had kissed him and he wanted to kiss her again so badly. She had started to get up and make motions to leave when he stood up too pulling her into his arms firmly bringing her face close to his before whispering.

"Is that really the way to kiss the guy who is in love with you? On the contrary I would very much like to try that again." He grinned at her and she smiled back.

"You love me?" she whispered.

"Yes." He breathed.

"Well isn't that just a coincidence that the guy I love just happens to love me back?" She teased him softly, her fingers locking around his neck, working their way into his hair as he held her tighter.

"You really love me? Masumoto told me you did but I didn't believe her. Can't believe she was right. Well, there is a first time for everything."

Karin giggled and pulled him closer, "Are we really going to sit here and talk the whole night or are you going to show me how a guy kisses the girl he loves?"

Toushirou got a cheeky glint in his eyes, "Well I personally believe that the recession is a brilliant topic. Don't you want to discuss the economic crisis?" He asked her sitting down on the roof again and pulling her into his lap.

"Oh just shut up and kiss me." She just grinned at him and brought his lips to hers once again, they shared another kiss slow and gentle, then passionate and fiery, all the bottled up love over the past few months released.

Masumoto was watching from behind a nearby tree and she smiled at her taicho and his new girlfriend. They were so cute together and it really did take them long enough to find each other. They sat there for the rest of the night talking and kissing before they knew it the dawn started to break casting everything in shades of golden yellow and white but they ignored the sunrise focusing only on the view of each other. Masumoto took her camera out and took a snapshot of their perfect romantic setting. She had found something to give her taicho for his birthday, a framed photo of this special moment, since she couldn't find anything he would like in the shops she entered, and she was sure he would love it. Well, as soon as he finished killing her for spying on him and buying six pairs of Jimmy Choos.

_Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading __ Please rate and review! Advice is always welcome too!_


	2. The Dance

_Ok so I wasn't planning on writing a sequel to The View but SilverDragonEyeCardSpiritWolf asked if there was one and basically set me on a one way rampage of enthusiasm to write one. It took me awhile to think of a good second storyline that hadn't been written a thousand times before and I really hope I got it right. I also put in a relationship between Masumoto and Byakuya and I might write a one-shot on them. I haven't really decided yet. Please enjoy it! Lots love! SugarFox_

_Title: The Dance _

_Author: MeteorLeopard (SugarFox)_

Matsumoto was sitting at her desk doing paperwork. Yes, I know, big shocker! Her small white haired taicho was making her do one full week of paperwork for every pair of Jimmy Choos she had bought and since she had purchased six pairs, she had six weeks of work to do. She was barely finished with the second week and she was exhausted. No wonder her taicho was always so moody, you would be moody too if you had to stare at all these different forms all day.

However, he wasn't as moody today as he normally was, for some reason, and she could probably think of just the reason for the little smile playing on his lips whenever he thought no one was looking. He was thinking about Karin, there really was no other explanation for it. I mean, there is no way he would normally be smiling while he went over the forms that showed how much she had spent on sake last month. Since she had spent a majority of last month drunk, she knew it was a lot of money.

"Brrrrrrrrring!"

The telephone next to her taicho rang and he picked it up before speaking a quiet clear greeting.

"Hello." His face broke into a huge smile and he continued to speak.

"Karin! No, I'm good and you?" He paused and Matsumoto heard a sudden outbreak of problems. "Oh? Really? Seriously Karin just calm down." Toshirou shook his head trying to calm the normally quiet girl. "I'm sure I can get off and come I will just have to talk to Sou-taicho quickly."

He had somehow managed ___to calm the unusually hysterical girl and continued. "I'm sure I could get Matsumoto to help you, just relax, since when do you freak out about little things like this? Ok, well here, talk to her."_

__

___Her taicho held out the phone towards her. Now Matsumoto had her curiosity aroused, she jumped out her desk, her breasts nearly popping out her robes and grabbed the phone from him._

__

_"____Karin!" She called in a cheery singsong voice, "What's wrong? Oh, really? Ok then, I suppose you need my help then? Alrightly then, I'll be there ASAP. Ok then, toodles." She put down the receiver and got a strange look from her taicho._

____

_ "____Where are you going Matsumoto?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow._

____

___She looked at him from behind her innocent puppy dog eyes and said, "To help Karin find a dress for the dance of course, where else would I be going? Oh, and you have to be there to escort her so you must be dressed and ready by seven so I'll meets you at six thirty at the Kurosaki household. "_

__

___He sighed and shook his head. "Fine, just remember that you are buying with Karin, and not for yourself, so you don't need to spend any of the 10____TH____ squad's budget on shoes." _

______

_"____Yes, whatever taicho! See you later!" She called and made her way to the nearest Seikamon. Her Taicho was going to be in for a huge surprise when she was done helping Karin out. _

____

___Karin was sitting on her bed venting out her frustrations at her father when Matsumoto burst in through the window. Was it too much to ask that they just used the front door? Don't they have doors in Seireitei? She had to speak to the Sou-taicho about that. He loved her, and took to her like a duck to water after Toshirou first introduced them a few weeks ago. Even though human/Shinigami relationships were forbidden, they had managed to get away with it, probably because Ichigo and Rukia already twisted his arm about it._

__

___She had barely noticed the older woman's presence when she was engulfed by a huge hug, almost suffocated by Matsumoto's huge breasts. _

__

_"____Matsumoto! I can't breathe!" Karin told her with a strangled cry._

____

_"____Sorry Karin!" Matsumoto squeaked and released her, taking a step back to examine the other girl._

____

_"____It's ok, I'm still alive. See?" She pointed a hand towards her body and smiled._

____

_"____So explain the entire situation to me! I need to know everything! All the details! How am I supposed to make you look fabulous if you don't tell me!" Matsumoto jabbered off not giving Karin a gap to speak._

____

_"____How am I supposed to tell you if you won't shut up?" Karin yelled at the overexcited woman._

____

_"____Oh yeah, sorry Karin, continue…" She said sheepishly._

____

_"____Well my stupid goat father has been invited to this stupid, boring ball. It's supposed to be in honor of him and the clinic because they helped out during some or other huge tragedy. I wasn't really listening to the details of it but apparently he has to take one member from his family with him. Yuzu was going to go but she is busy with Urahara training to be a shinigami and Ichigo is off gallivanting in Soul Society again, so he said I have to go with him." Karin finished her explanation with a dejected sigh._

____

_"____Don't worry about it; I can turn you into a Cinderella in no time at all! So what did you plan on wearing?" she asked excited._

____

_"____I don't know! That's why I need you!" Karin yelled exasperated._

____

___The entire racket had brought Isshin upstairs and he burst into the room with his usual clueless demeanor. "KARIN MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER WHAT IS ALL THE RACKET ABOUT!"_

__

___Karin just jumped up, delivering a roundhouse kick and sending her annoying father crashing into the cupboard. "Shut up you stupid old man! If it wasn't for you there wouldn't be a problem in the first place!" _

__

___Isshin dusted himself off and spotted Matsumoto giggling on the edge of Karin's bed. "Ah, Masumoto fukutaicho! Long time no see, where have you been hiding?" _

__

_"____Me? Hiding? Don't be silly, you were the one who fell in love and left us, where the hell have you been hiding?" She teased him back._

____

_"____I do not hide! I just temporarily disappear!" He told her with a mock look of hurt on his face._

____

___Karin knew that Matsumoto had been her father's fukutaicho when he used to be Captain of the tenth squad and she noticed that they were also very good friends. This sudden realization sparked an idea into her head. "Matsumoto?"_

__

___This broke up the bantering between the two and they both stared at her. "Yes Karin?" she asked._

__

_"____Well, my dad needs a partner for tonight, so I think you should go with him, so he doesn't spend the whole night spying on me and Toshirou." Karin stated with a smug smile._

____

___Isshin looked a little bit bewildered but suddenly jumped up as if her had been electrocuted. "You are right Karin! I completely forgot!" he turned to Matsumoto and put on his puppy dogface, "Please? I'm really stuck?"_

__

_"____Sure, but only as friends, because otherwise Byakuya will have your head." She grinned at Karin._

____

___Isshin jumped up mumbling about he wasn't scared of that little boy and dashed downstairs to rescue his toast, it had managed to become charcoal after being jammed and forgotten in the toaster. They really did lack on good food when Yuzu wasn't around._

__

_"____So, are you ready to become a princess?" Matsumoto asked her._

____

_"____Not even the slightest bit." Karin said dolefully._

____

___Matsumoto just laughed, "Great then, let's go!_

__

___Toshirou was sitting at his desk doing all the paper work that Matsumoto had left behind in her grand escape. He was also feeling rather smug that his soul pager hadn't even buzzed once. He had set it so every time she spent the 10____th____ squad's money he would know immediately. He thought he had finally gotten through to her in the whole 'stop-spending-money-thing' and that put him in an extremely good mood. Well, that and he was going to see Karin later._

______

___He was very deep in thought when Kuchiki taicho swept into the office with his usual cold and graceful demeanor. "Ohaio, Kuchiki taicho."_

__

___He just nodded, "Hitsugaya taicho."_

__

_"____Can I help you with something, Kuchiki?" he asked the noble, looking up from his paperwork._

____

_"____Yes, I'm looking for Rangiku. Do you know where I might find my absent fiancé?" he asked the younger taicho._

____

_"____Ah yes, she went to the real world to help the Kurosaki's with a little problem. She will probably be back soon. What is that strange buzzing noise might I ask?" Toshirou asked him wondering about the strange sound that had started when the noble entered the room._

____

___Kuchiki pulled out his viciously buzzing soul pager and stared at it. "That explains a lot Hitsugaya taicho. It is set to go off every time she spends my money. It has been going haywire all day."_

__

___Toshirou nodded, understanding dawning on his face, "That explains why mine has been so quiet today. Well, we all know Matsumoto; she is shopping up a storm. Not to be rude or anything Kuchiki taicho but as long as she isn't spending the 10____th____ squad's money I don't really care much, now if you would excuse me, your fiancé has left me with a pile of paperwork."_

______

___Byakuya nodded and turned to leave. "I will probably have to go restrain her, thank you Hitsugaya taicho." _

__

___Toshirou's good mood was slightly depleted after Kuchiki left since he thought Matsumoto had finally learned her lesson. Oh well, I told her not to spend our money and she didn't, so I guess she listened after all. And it's not as if the Kuchiki household can't afford it anyway. It's a good thing she's marring into a wealthy family._

__

_"____What about this one Karin?" Matsumoto asked her. Karin really couldn't care less and was already bored with this even if it was only the second dress they were looking at. Matsumoto had already taken her to get their hair and nails done at some spa place she didn't even know existed. _

____

___She now had little surfboard things stuck to her fingernails and they really hurt if you tried to pull them off. Matsumoto wanted her to paint them fire engine red but Karin had put her foot down and had them painted silver instead. Her raven hair that she spent the last few months growing out to just past her shoulders had been tamed, conditioned, and cut into beautiful layers framing her face. _

__

_"____Matsumoto I'm really bored with this, why can't we just take something and leave. Please?"_

____

___The older woman just laughed at her and continued to go through rack after rack of dresses in a shop that Karin wouldn't normally even be caught dead in. _

__

_"____Don't be silly Karin, and go try these on." She handed her a pile of dresses and turned to take another huge pile for herself before making her way to the changing rooms._

____

___After three hours of shopping Matsumoto had finally found a dress to wear, and after a further two hours of walking around and looking she had found the perfect dress for Karin. "Why does everyone insist on putting me in super-short mini dresses?" Karin asked irritated._

__

_"____It's because you have those toned soccer legs to show off. Now come on we have to get home and start getting ready or we are going to be late." Matsumoto told her before dragging her out the mall and down the street._

____

___Toshirou was sitting at the kitchen table talking to Isshin while they waited for the girls to come down. It was twenty to seven and they had to leave soon or they were going to be late. He was wondering if he should tell them to hurry up when Matsumoto swept gracefully into the room. She looked beautiful in a knee length midnight blue halter neck dress that left half of her back bare, and none other than a brand new pair of Jimmy Choos on her feet. Toshirou mentally added another week of work to her load in the hope that it would break her of this obsession. She grabbed him and pulled him out the kitchen to the bottom of the stairs to see Karin make her grand entrance. _

__

___Karin walked down the stairs and he was mesmerized, she was so beautiful. He gasped and watched her descend the stairs. She was dressed in a black strapless mini dress, which had a silver belt just around her waist emphasizing her beautiful curves. She reached the bottom of the stairs; he offered her his hand and pulled her closed so he could whisper in her ear. "You look beautiful," He breathed and she blushed entwining her hand into his._

__

_"____Now, now children, we have a dance to get to, you can do that later." Isshin told then breaking the moment and making the both of them blush. _

____

___They all left the house and climbed into the sleek black limo that they had rented for the occasion and got there within a few minutes. Even though the dance was so close, it would look strange if they ended up walking there in their current attire. They exited the vehicle and walked up the red carpet, all eyes on them, and a helpful waiter then seated them. _

__

___Luckily, Karin and Toshirou didn't have to sit at the same table as her father so they could spend some long awaited time together. "See, I told you that you were panicking for nothing." Toshirou said softly looking at the girl sitting beside him. _

__

_"____Thanks to Masumoto, if it wasn't for her I probably would have come in a vegetable sack and my trainers." She laughed._

____

___He laughed as well staring at her still mesmerized by her beauty. "Well, even though Matsumoto did a great job, and you are the most beautiful girl here tonight, I still would have thought so if you arrived in a vegetable sack." _

__

___She blushed at him and squeezed his hand tighter, not really knowing what to say, when she spotted Byakuya in the crowd. She frowned and Toshirou turned to see what she was looking at. That was really Byakuya and he seemed to be following Isshin into the bathroom. What was the noble doing at a ball in the real world she wondered? They waited for a couple of seconds debating whether or not they should be worried when he exited the bathroom again, minus Isshin, and made his way towards Matsumoto pulling her onto the dance floor._

__

_"____Something tells me that Matsumoto didn't inform her fiancé of helping Isshin out tonight." Toshirou commented._

____

_"____Whoops, I think she forgot to tell him. You don't want to go check if he is ok, do you?" Karin asked him and Toshirou rose and went to investigate the men's bathroom to see if he could find the remains of the other man._

____

___Toshirou opened the bathroom door and managed to find Isshin in one of the cubicles. It took all he had to restrain himself from laughing. Sitting in the cubicle being restrained by what looked like Six Light Rod Prison; Byakuya's specialty, was an unconscious Isshin. _

__

___Toshirou decided to leave him there where he wouldn't cause any trouble and went back to Karin. She was watching Matsumoto and Byakuya having a hushed argument on the dance floor. Then Matsumoto grabbed his wrist and pulled him outside so she could probably yell at him without creating a scene. _

__

_"____So is he alive?" Karin asked him not sounding too worried._

____

_"____Well he is unconscious and bound by a kidou spell, but other than that I would say he is fine."_

____

_"____Good to know." She grinned at him. "So now that we are no longer needed I think we may take our leave?" She said and pulled out her Chappy gikongan from her sliver purse. _

____

___He grinned at her, "Great minds think alike." He also pulled out his and they transformed into Shinigami instructing their bodies to go home within the next hour and to make sure they remember to take Isshin with them. _

__

___After that, she grabbed his hand and pulled him after her as they jumped out the nearest window. They flash stepped across town hand in hand just basking in each other's presence. On their way out the saw that Matsumoto and Byakuya were still at it and left them to it. When they eventually stopped, they found themselves sitting on the school roof again. "Why do we always end up here?" She asked him with a grin. _

__

_"____Because it's our special place." He told her returning her grin before he sat down pulling her into his lap and holding her close. _

____

___Karin loved being in his arms, always felt so safe there._

__

_"____Karin." She looked up at his face and he pulled her even closer before his lips met hers. They stayed like that kissing for awhile before they broke it off breathing heavily. "I have been wanting to do that all night." He whispered in her ear._

____

_"____Me too, you are lucky I didn't jump you when I came downstairs." She giggled and rested her head on his shoulder._

____

_"____So I was speaking to Sou taicho today and he said that once Yuzu has finished her training you can all move to Soul Society if you want." Toshiro told her gently running his fingers down her back._

____

___She didn't answer for a second and then she pulled him with kissing distance again. "Well I don't know if I want to go live there." She teased him, "Maybe you will just have to convince me."_

__

___He caught onto the joke, "Well, I suppose if you don't want to come you will just have to miss out on this." He kissed her again, short and sweet. "Because I'm sure that will convince you otherwise." _

__

___She closed her eyes, "Hmm, I may need just a little more convincing." He was only too happy to oblige and pulled her close once more._

__

___So? What did you think? Yay or nay? Any comments and suggestions are appreciated. So please let me know if I can improve anywhere. Hope you liked it! Let me know! Oh and I'm a little bit stuck with my Rentatsu chapter story but hopefully with some help I'll finish it soon and start posting so keep an eye out for that. I'm also not sure about the Masumoto/Byakuya one shot so let me know if you think I should write it._

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___Lots of Love!_

__

___Sugarfox_

__


	3. A Very Important Date!

**MAJOR REVAMP IN PROGRESS! **

Hi everyone! It's SugarFox! Yeah, I have kind of been MIA with this story for the last couple of months or so and I am sorry! (Insert Sheepish look here) ^_^ It was the first story I ever wrote and I sort of got carried away with a sequel and then corresponding one shots of other pairings, but fear not! I have decided to perform some open-heart surgery and hack it apart!

I am reposting the 'Rentatsu – Dresses and Fire Hydrants' to the Rentatsu page as a separate but related one-shot to Hitsukarin - The View. I am also going to repost the ByaRan as well, but I am going to write a part 2 for this to finish it off.

For the Hitsukarin -The View I am going to write a third and final chapter to close it off. Sorry for the scramble guys (and girls) but HoneyBadger and I decided that it was too confusing, and also completely pointless. Thanks for understanding (at least I hope you do …)

Oh and please review… Haha, no seriously, nothing like a good review on an author's note… (Please note: This is a joke.)

PS. Ishihime fans… Don't kill me! I kind of jumped ship… So I didn't repost the Ishihime chapter… Curse you TheLadyIntegra! (A good friend of ours ) You have infected me with Ulquihime Fever! Aaarrggghh! Pass me a tissue!

**HoneyBadger**: Aw, there there, SugarFox, it's not so bad… right? Oh and guys? Don't kill her. I still need her around for a while to listen to my inane ramblings! Kthxbi!

**SugarFox:** Yeah, you would think so! I am having seriously uncharacteristically random bouts of fan girl squealing and I keep jumping up and down! "Ulquiorra come back!" Just like that. Meugh.

So keep an eye out for the new and improved chapters!


	4. 4 The Move

Um… Hi?

AH!

(Ducks as someone throws sharp object at head.)

Sorry! I know I sort of forgot about this story, but fear not! Here is a nice chapter for you, to finish it off! This is a continuation of the story when Karin and the rest of the Kurosaki family have moved to Soul Society. It is the final installment! It is super sad to be finishing this off (finally) since the original The View story chapter 1 was the first ever fanfic I ever wrote! So please enjoy…

This chapter is for my reviewers! ReginaCaelum, Lady Callista, inkjacque, SilverStar TomBoy, Ryfee, Jiyle, Thunder Claw03 , SupaCrazee, Milde the tough Teddy, Sleepihead, , Bleached-Whale, Echo Uchiha, pers3as,1gymnastgirl, and byinj!

Thank you for your support (and threatening)! Thank you to everyone who favourited too!

Lots of Love

SugarFox

3 - The Move

Part 1 – Settling In

Karin couldn't help but feel smug as she strolled down the corridor on her way to the tenth division offices. As she walked along, minding her own business, she had managed to attract the attention of every single tenth division squad member, most of whom gazed at her with a deep-rooted look of fear on their features. She supposed it must have been because of yesterday's incident on the training grounds. She had apologized, but Toushirou had still given her a frown that was clearly disapproving of her actions.

However, she hardly called kicking the asses of both the third and fourth seat of his squad a criminal offence. Besides, they had seriously asked for it. Nobody told Kurosaki Karin to switch to Fourth Squad unless they had death wish. Those two did, and she had only roughed them up a little bit. Just a couple of broken bones, some kidou binding spells, and she didn't even release her shikai! Toushirou had told her to stop causing a ruckus when she had barely been living in Soul Society for twenty-four hours.

She had just laughed at him and told him not to worry. She just needed to make a statement once in order to get her message across. She might be young and short like Toushirou but her bite was much worse than her bark, and anybody who tested her would feel her wrath. Her plan had clearly worked and, as she made a beeline for Toushirou's office, she could see the results. She held a certain amount of respect, especially from those who were present for the incident yesterday.

Karin shifted a large box in her arms and cursed slightly at the sheer weight of it. It was heavy and rather awkward to carry, but she was determined to get it to her destination if it killed her. Toushirou's office was just down the hall and she just had to keep her aching arms lasting until then. Suddenly she saw a young shinigami squad member approach her and address her formally.

Kurosaki-sama, may I carry that box for you?" The man asked her politely and Karin was grateful to hand over the box to the tall youth with shaggy black hair.

"Yes thank you very much. And no need for such formalities. You may call me Karin." She told the man and he looked scandalized.

"I really couldn't call a mighty Kurosaki by her first name! It is unheard of!" The guy spluttered and Karin rolled her eyes at him. Some of these people were so over the top when it came to formalities it was ridiculous.

"Suit yourself then." She told him and continued down the hall with the man following in steady steps behind her. She reached Toushirou's office and entered after she had knocked quickly on the closed sliding door.

"You can just put that down there." She told the man and he nodded before placing the heavy box on Matsumoto's desk and bowed his way out. Karin smiled at him and quickly closed the door behind him.

"Hey Toushirou, what are you doing?" She asked her boyfriend as she approached the desk where he was signing papers vigorously.

"Paperwork." He told her simply and then gestured towards the doorway. "Who was that?" He asked, referring the man who had just left.

"Just a recruit who was having too much fun helping a great Kurosaki. You have no idea how weird it is to come to another dimension and then be treated like royalty. I wish Dad had mentioned that part before we moved here." She commented dryly and Toushirou laughed at her.

"I can hardly think why you would be upset about being part of the fifth noble family of Seireitei. Simply because of that huge mansion that has been maintained for by the Kuchiki family for generations. What type of sane person would complain about getting a huge house?" Toushirou put down his brush and motioned for her to come to sit down.

"Me. I don't like big houses!" She said and Toushirou just shook his head at her.

"I suppose I should know by now that I was dating a head case that had a phobia for big houses." He teased Karin and she just grinned.

"Oh shut it." She told him and made a playful swipe at his head laughing. "Truth is that I don't know what is more surprising. The fact that my dad is friends with Kuchiki-taicho, or the fact that my new room at the Kurosaki family mansion is the same size as our old house in the real world." Karin laughed and seated herself on Toushirou's desk, ignoring his gesture to sit in the chair opposite him.

"I agree, who would have thought that this would all come climbing out of the woodwork the second you moved to Soul Society and that your crazy father was friends with the stiff Kuchiki." Toushirou got up off his seat, moved over to Karin, and put his arms around her waist.

"Certainly not me, but let's not worry about it." Karin told him, lent forward, and gave him a slow kiss, working her hands in to his hair, and pulling him closer. He moaned but pushed her away gently.

"Not here, you know Matsumoto has a radar for bursting in on personal moments, and I have a reputation to uphold you know." He told her, and she laughed softly.

"I suppose, but speaking of your vice, I just remembered why I'm here." Karin told him she pushed him away and jumped of the desk. Striding to the box on Matsumoto's desk, she opened it and began pulling random objects out of it. A lampshade, a soccer ball, a few books, and even a fire extinguisher. Finally after a few minutes of searching through the box, labeled 'Karin's Stuff: Fragile', she pulled out a single shopping bag and handed it to him.

"I need you to help me burn this." She told him and he reached into the bag, pulled out a dress of deep turquoise, and studied it with a strange look. She needed his help to burn a dress? He wondered if she had lost her nut. He had ice powers, not fire powers.

"Why do we need to burn this dress?" He asked confused and held up the tiny dress. She just laughed at him and began packing the random items back into their box.

"Because that is the mini dress that Matsumoto wants me to wear as a bridesmaid to her wedding. I told her I can't find it and now I am going to get rid of it." Karin said almost sadistically, and Toushirou could just see how much she hated the dress. It was a nice dress, and sometimes he wondered if Karin was perhaps just a little bit too mean when it came to more girly clothes. Honestly, he wouldn't change her for anything in the world, but a dress vendetta like this made him fear for his own safety. Arson was not a joke when it was your hand holding up the sacrificial dress.

He gave the dress a closer look and recognized it almost immediately, and it was not because he was a clothing expert like Yumichika. "But isn't the dress you wore the night we started dating? The one from the dance at your school?" Toushirou asked, and Karin shrugged, not looking particularly fazed by this revelation.

"I am never wearing that dress again. I hated it then, I hate it now. It is so short it can hardly be classified as more than a dishtowel!" Karin complained and Toushirou gave her a skeptic look and Karin snorted. "Don't give me that look. I am not walking up the aisle with nothing but that on. I feel half naked in it!"

He never thought Karin would ever be a drama queen, but this dress didn't invoke a positive reaction when it came to her. Oh well, there was only one way to fix this problem. Reverse psychology. He didn't spend weeks in the real world and not pick up a thing or two on mental manipulation from Sandal-Hat.

"Suit yourself," he said, "but I am almost sure that if you tell Matsumoto that you lost this dress she will put you in something even shorter… and pink. Are you sure you want to do that to yourself?" He asked her slowly, and she suddenly looked nervous. Her face seemed to scream 'how can it get any shorter?' and he tried not to laugh at her alarmed reaction.

"You know, I suddenly realized that I love this dress!" She practically yelped, lunged, and snatched the offending piece of silk material away from him. She then stuffed it back into the packet huffily and grimaced. She didn't even like silk! What was wrong with good old fashion cotton?

"I thought you might feel that way, but if you want the dress modified into something a little bit less revealing, then go and talk to Unohana. She is a pretty good seamstress and might be able to make a couple of modifications." He told her and Karin seemed to like the idea very much. She nodded, and looked a tad less depressed.

Matsumoto was as relentless as a tiger when it came to her wedding plans, and she was insistent that Karin wear this dress to match Toushirou on her wedding day. Toushirou wasn't even sure what it was that he was supposed to be wearing when he walked his vice up the aisle. Although, he had a feeling it was going to a pain to wear.

Karin loved Matsumoto to bits, but this wedding was going to drive her up the walls. It was the biggest event of the century (literally) and Karin was happy for her friend, but why did she have to be roped into it? She hated having any form of dress on! Karin decided then and there, that she was going get it fixed by Unohana-taicho if it killed her… Something Matsumoto would probably do if she saw the dress when it was done.

"Good idea. Anyway are you free now?" Karin asked Toushirou and he nodded at her and reached for his sword leaning against the wall. He strapped it to his back and then straightened a couple of papers on his desk.

"Yeah, I have to find Matsumoto. You want to go and get lunch?" He asked her and she grinned at him. Did she ever. All this dress and wedding stuff was making her hungry, and the one upside of moving to the Soul Society was that she could see Toushirou more often and drag him out of his office.

"It was like you read my mind. Race ya to the Kuchiki mansion?" She challenged and he looked confused for a second.

"Why the Kuchiki mansion?" He asked and Karin just rolled her eyes, slid the door open, and left the office with Toushirou a few steps behind her.

"My Dad is renovating the house so we are all staying at the Kuchiki mansion until after the wedding, so we are going to eat there." Karin told him, and walking back down the corridor, she noted that she was being stared at again. She wasn't sure, if this was because of yesterday's incident, or because she was a noble Kurosaki. "I also want to avoid any form of public place where I get called Kurosaki-sama because of my ancestors and new social status." Karin said and Toushirou grinned at her obvious irritation with her new social standing. She wasn't one for formalities, and this nobility thing was going to drive her up the walls.

"Fine, race ya there." He said as they reached the end of the corridor. The space opened onto a balcony and they were now out of the sight of prying eyes. They both climbed onto the railing and, with a quick step, they jumped.

They took off, flashing across Seireitei in quick steps. If a person had not been told to look out for the two, they would have continued with their business unaware of the two blurred figures passing. Karin was fiercely competitive and had a natural knack for speed just like Yoruichi, but Toushirou had nearly half a century of experience more than she had and was proving to be a difficult challenge.

They were close, with Toushirou only a step ahead of her, and Karin concentrating so much reatsiu into speeding up that she did not exactly pay much attention to where she was going. This proved to be a fatal mistake when she slammed head first, into what felt like a giant wall of muscle with bells. She slid to the ground rubbing her nose where it had come into contact with the resistance and looked up to see what she had run into.

Standing over her was a very bored looking man with an eye patch and a captain's haori. Karin rose, and on a closer inspection, she saw that he had a small pink haired girl hanging off his shoulder and he looked less than happy with life at that point in time.

"Ow, that was not smart." She commented as she rubbed her nose harder, got up quickly, and checked for broken bones along the way. "Sorry about that, I wasn't looking where I was going." She apologized and the man didn't seem to care very much.

"Hmph." He mumbled and she frowned at him. Why was he so familiar? Didn't Ichi-nii fight a huge captain with an eye patch that nearly killed him? Karin looked him up and down. Bells? Check. Eye patch? Check. Captain? Check. Crazed bloodthirsty look? Check.

"Hey, aren't you Zaraki-taicho? My brother Ichigo fought you once, he said you were crazy." She commented, and the man looked interested all of a sudden. The mention that he had fought her brother seemed to have lit a firecracker under him and he looked very excited.

"Are you Ichigo's sister?" He asked and Karin nodded in confirmation, and extended her hand in a greeting, but quick retracted it when she saw that Zaraki-taicho suddenly looked more than a little bit crazed.

"Yes!" He bellowed and gripped his sword in his hand. "Finally somebody to fight!" He yelled and as Karin stood there slightly dumbfounded, she felt as if she was going to be blown away by the sheer size of the bright reiatsu blasting around the huge man.

He lunged at her, and Karin barely had two seconds to pull out her sword and block the vicious blow before she was nearly decapitated. "Are you crazy? You nearly killed me!" She yelled at him, and he just ignored her and continued to shower her with random strikes.

"Yes! Finally a challenge!" He hollered again and didn't seem to hear her. Karin was barely holding her own under his strikes. Her forte' was in speed, not strength; and that was why she had been assigned to the second squad. She couldn't handle very much more of this brutal swordsmanship and she decided that her only chance would be to move far enough away from him to release her shikai and gain the upper hand in speed.

After blocking another slash that felt as though it was going to break her wrist, Karin flash stepped back nearly fifty meters, held her sword in a horizontal position, and ran her hand down the blade release her shikai. "Twist, Kirikiri Mai!" She called clearly, and with an influx of deep purple reiatsu building around her, Karin was left holding nothing but two small silver engraved fans linked together by a chain.

The fans were razor thin and sharp enough to cause some serious damage if put to the test. Karin loved her shikai because she could fold her fans smaller and extend them longer if needed. They were also good for defense and offence, and the chain was helpful because she could use it to capture her opponent if necessary.

She released one of the fans and, making use of her chain, she twirled it into a makeshift shield to block the vicious strikes as the beast of a man lunged again. Dancing back and forth, they exchanged blows, and Karin even managed to get in a few good strikes, but a majority of her time was spent on defense, and trying to avoid losing her head to the captain with the simple one handed fighting style.

He was barely breaking a sweat, and this infuriated Karin to the extreme. She began slashing back with more and more vigor, dodging strikes and even risked a closed strike at the cost of gaining a cut on her shoulder. This crazy man just seemed to get more and more excited with every strike she dealt him, and Karin was beginning to wonder if she had perhaps managed to get herself into a rather compromising situation.

Suddenly she felt a bone chilling reiatsu and, before she could so much as squeak, Zaraki-taicho had been frozen into a large ice cube and she was swept away at the speed of lightning. Karin blinked twice and realized that Toushirou had his arm around her waist, and was flash stepping across Seireitei as if his life depended on it.

"I can run on my own you know." She told him and he glared at her before jumping down into a quiet abandoned side street and setting her on her feet.

"Are you crazy?" He snapped at her, and she laughed at his serious expression. "This is serious. Didn't Ichigo tell you not to antagonize the most blood thirsty man in Seireitei?" Toushirou reprimanded her, and she looked offended at his conclusion of the sequence of events.

"I didn't antagonize him. He just heard I was Ichigo's sister and then attacked me. I was just defending myself." She told him and he looked skeptic. She didn't blame him, since she could be quite a firecracker when antagonized. In addition, she had really begun to get into the fight just before Toushirou had whisked her off.

"Yeah right. Now can we please go and have some lunch before you decided to get into any more fights with scary people?" He told her, and she shrugged at him.

"I told you, it wasn't my fault!" Karin complained and he just shook his head at his wayward girlfriend. That was the second fight he had to drag her out of in the last two days, and he had no doubt that they wouldn't be the last.

"I find that highly unlikely. Now we have to postpone lunch and go get your wounds checked out by Unohana." He told her and she groaned in complaint but followed him out of the alleyway and into the street.

"But I am so hungry! Can't it just wait until after?" She whined and he just rolled his eyes at her.

"No. Heaven only knows what Zaraki cuts with that blade, and the last thing I need is for you to come down with some type of bubonic plague from the slums of Rukongai." He told her and it was her turn to roll her eyes. What were the chances that she would get an infection from her wounds? There were only two! One on the shoulder and one on her wrist; it wasn't as if she was on her deathbed!

"You are such a dramatic guy." She muttered and he glared at her and then began muttering how she would be the death of him.

"I am not. Besides, we can ask Unohana about your dress while we are there. So stop complaining." He told her and suddenly deciding that this walking pace way too slow for him, he swept her into his arms again and a couple of flash steps later they were at the fourth division.

"Now go and get yourself fixed I will see you at the Kuchiki mansion where I will be trying to tell Matsumoto that I refuse to wear a suit. Then we can have lunch." He told her, and after giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, he was gone.

Karin sighed and braced herself for the scolding she was almost sure she was going to get from Unohana-taicho. The motherly yet scary woman had already reprimanded her for unnecessary fighting. Karin headed into the fourth squad head quarters, wishing that Toushirou hadn't left her to fend for herself. She supposed she couldn't blame him. Unohana was _that_ scary.

Part 2 – The Wedding

Toushirou was feeling hot. No, he was feeling smoldering, steaming, boiling hot, as if he had just stepped into the depths of hell, and he didn't like it one single bit. Matsumoto knew. She knew he hated the heat. Yet she had told him that if there were ever a question between fashion and comfort, fashion would always prevail. The same truth lay in a battle between Toushirou and Matsumoto, except Matsumoto would always prevail. It was because of this that he was sitting here in a suit of pure white, waiting for Matsumoto to arrive.

Toushirou tugged on the turquoise tie around his neck, and wondered how a single piece of silk could be so unbelievably uncomfortable. It felt as though he was being strangled, and he began to wrestle with it in irritation. He was a cool character, ice cold, if his zanpaktou was anything to go by, and yet he was wearing the most insulated and suffocating outfit around. If he didn't love Matsumoto like a dear older sister, he would have told her what exactly she could do with her Armani suit. And believe him, it wasn't nice.

Toushirou was still having an inner rant about his attire when a door slid open and Matsumoto emerged from the room next door. She was wearing a floor length halter neck white dress with a skirt that wasn't too elaborate, but a far cry from the traditional kimono the elders had wanted her to wear. Matsumoto had told them to take a hike with their traditions, and found this dress in a bridal boutique in the real world. Toushirou had no doubt that the elders were going to have a hard time trying to bend Matsumoto to their ways. Heaven knows he had been trying for years with minimum success.

Toushirou had to blink twice before he realized that it was his wayward fukutaicho, simply because her long strawberry blonde locks were piled on her head in a stylish up do. Toushirou had never actually seen her with her hair away from her face, and noted that she honestly looked the part of a graceful noble princess.

Matsumoto grinned as she saw him tugging on his tie and moved forward to help release him from the silk's stranglehold. "You are going to break it." She reprimanded with a smile and he just snorted.

"I wouldn't mind." He commented, and then crossed his arms over his chest like a sulking child when she was done.

"There, all better." She said and stood back to admire her handiwork, and Toushirou gave her a quick word of thanks.

"You ready?" She asked him as he took her arm and he nodded. He just had to walk her up the aisle, which he deemed to be a great honour and the only down side was the fact that he had to wear the suit. Matsumoto had asked him if he would please give her away since he was the only other constant male presence in her life that she trusted with her life. She had then commented sadly that she would have asked Gin if he hadn't died trying to take down Aizen. Toushirou really didn't have the heart to refuse when she put it like that.

"Yes, are you ready?" He asked her, and she nodded nervously before gripping the arm he offered her. They had to make their way through the Kuchiki mansion, and then out onto the patio and into the garden where the wedding was being held. They walked in silence, and they reached the last door before they would be on the balcony and ascend the three steps and down the aisle. They stopped, and waited for their turn to walk, since they had to wait for the three bridesmaids and flower girl to make their way ahead of her before she could make her grand entrance.

"Matsumoto." Toushirou said, and Matsumoto nodded at her Captain's call.

"Yes, Taicho?" She enquired, and Toushirou turned to face the woman who had been his closest, best friend and the only person he had to rely on until he had found Karin. He couldn't help but feel that he was losing her, even though he scolded himself to get over his petty fears. After the wedding, she was going on her honeymoon but after two weeks, she would be back in the office doing minimal amounts of paperwork and falling asleep in a drunken stupor on the couch in his office as per usual. It was silly, but if he were a softie like Yuzu, he would probably be crying now.

"You look beautiful, Matsumoto." He told her simply, and her face softened into an easy smile of fondness.

"Thank you, taicho." She said, and the doors swept open, signaling their turn to walk. Toushirou stepped through the doorway and they made their way down the aisle, walking past the rows of guests. They reached the end of the aisle and Toushirou gave Matsumoto a kiss on her check, and then whispered in her ear.

"If he hurts you I will not hesitate to kill him."

Matsumoto just giggled under her breath and gave her small taicho a hug. "I am sure you would." She whispered back, and Toushirou gave Byakuya a firm look.

"Look after her." He told the noble who nodded, and then Toushirou proceeded to his seat in the front row, just to the left of the couple. Now that his wedding duty was over Toushirou began to relax, and since he was no longer concentrating on not falling on his face and embarrassing his fukutaicho, he could look around and fidget with his tie some more.

The garden was beautiful, a perfect place to hold a wedding, and all the Sakura trees held light pink blossoms. Although Toushirou was finding it hard to concentrate on how beautiful the wedding was, when Karin was standing just a few feet away, looking absolutely gorgeous. She was smiling at Matsumoto and Byakuya, and in her hands, she held a small bouquet of white roses the same as Nanao and Rukia who were the other two bridesmaids.

All three women were wearing different shades of blue, and Toushirou was glad to see that Karin was wearing her turquoise dress. He could see that she had managed to get Unohana to alter it, and she looked a lot happier. Unohana had spilt the seams in the side and added some netting on the inside of the dress to create a less figure hugging effect. Then to extend the bottom of the dress by a few inches she had added some turquoise lace.

Now Karin looked comfortable and fabulous. She had her hair pulled back on the top with two silver clips, and it appeared that Yuzu had pinned her down and added just the lightest touch of make up to her features. Toushirou couldn't take his eyes off her, and when she caught his eye halfway through the ceremony, she blushed bright red when she saw that he was staring at her so blatantly. He really couldn't help himself. He was a man, not a saint. Besides, even though Unohana had made the dress slightly longer, it could hardly pass for a long dress.

Toushirou fixed his eyes on the low heels that Karin had on her small feet, and then couldn't help it when his eyes wandered up her legs and he noticed her toned soccer thighs. Then when he realized that he was indeed staring, he began to scold himself and decided to focus on her face instead. It was hard, and Toushirou had to shake the feeling that he was becoming a pervert. He hoped not. Oh well.

Before he knew it, the entire event was nearly over, and he had barely paid attention to any of it. He felt somewhat bad, but at least he was better than Yachiru who was the flower girl. The pink haired girl began throwing flower petals over the best man halfway through the vows. Renji wasn't happy at all with being under petal fire.

Karin was beginning to fidget, and her feet were getting sore. She couldn't comprehend the reason why girls would intentionally put themselves through the calf agony of wearing a pair of heels. Even if her heels were barely two inches. She still felt really tall, and knew Toushirou wasn't going to like being the same height as her. Maybe she could ditch the monstrosities at the reception party? She would find a conveniently placed pot plant if it was the last thing she did.

Speaking of her boyfriend, she was beginning to squirm under his gaze. He was just staring at her, and not even trying to pretend to pay attention. She wasn't stupid, and she could practically feel him undressing her with his eyes. Hmmm. Her Shirou was just a little bit of a pervert, who would have thought? She tried not to giggle at the thought of Toushirou taking on a Kon-like personality, and she couldn't wait to tease him about it.

Although his gaze was making it hard for her to concentrate, and she wished the entire thing would just finish already. Finally she heard the ever expected words of 'you may kiss the bride' and she sighed with relief. It was over, and she had never felt happier.

Byakuya swept Matsumoto into a kiss as everyone cheered. Karin wasn't sure if the cheer was for the couple, or the fact that the ceremony was over and the party was about to begin. She decided that in the case of Ikkaku it was probably the drinking part. That man didn't have a romantic bone in his body, and if he did, it was probably broken beyond use from some battle.

The newlyweds walked back down the aisle, and Karin began to follow. Each bridesmaid was paired with a groomsman, and Karin was paired with Renji while Nanao and Rukia were paired with Kyoraku and Ukitake. Nanao and Rukia walked ahead of her, and as she moved forward she took Renji's arm and they followed everyone else.

"Thank the heavens that is over. I was beginning to fidget." Renji muttered under his breath, and Karin laughed at her crazy friend. She loved Renji like a crazy cousin that you just wanted to strangle sometimes.

"It wasn't that bad." Karin scolded him playfully and he just snorted at her nonchalant manner.

"You didn't get the flower shower." He grumbled, and began trying to shake off the petals that were all over him and his smart black suit. Once they were out the doors Karin began to help him, plucking petals from his long red hair.

"There, all done. Now if there are any more, I do not even want to think about where they are, and you can get Tatsuki to help you with those." Karin teased him and his face pulled into a huge grin at the mention of his girlfriend's name.

"Thanks." He told her, and then after saying goodbye he waved to Tatsuki who was on the other side of the room, and left to go to her. Tatsuki had managed to get here via Urahara, and Renji had to acquire the personal permission of the Sou-taicho for her to attend. Karin looked at her appreciatively when she saw that the dark haired girl was dressed in a cute red dress that Rukia probably picked out for her.

Karin looked around, and saw that Toushirou was being pulled into one of Matsumoto's famous bear hugs. Karin tried not to laugh at his pained expression adorned with a soft look of fondness around the edges. She was about to go over and say hi to Toushirou, who she hadn't even seen today because she was kidnapped for some type of make over from Yuzu, when she was lifted clean off the ground by a happy looking Kenpachi.

"Karin! When are we going to fight again?" He boomed, and she just laughed at him as he held her in the air with one hand. He always did that, and Karin always felt as though she was on a roller coaster when he did.

"Not now, but maybe on Monday? I have a free hour after lunch to spar if you want?" She told him, and he nodded in agreement.

"Yes! It sounds like a plan. Yachiru? When's Monday?" He said happily and then put Karin on his shoulder, sitting neatly as if on a chair. "Let's go find our seats." He told her and then he walked into the reception area, with Karin and Yachiru on his shoulders. Never mind Karin's protesting that she wanted to go see Toushirou.

Toushirou spotted Karin being lifted by Kenpachi, and if it had been a couple of days ago, he would have freaked. Luckily, after the previous incident with the powerful man, Karin had made peace with him. Toushirou had wanted her to avoid him completely, but Karin had told him it was the wrong approach. She fixed the problem by going over to the eleventh squad barracks and challenging Kenpachi to a spar. They had been sparring ever since, much to Toushirou's chagrin.

Toushirou saw Kenpachi carry Karin into the reception area, and he began to follow. Toushirou entered the huge room just in time to see the huge captain place Karin at her seat, near the bridal table and then leave to find his seat. Toushirou saw her scrutinize the fancy set up of the tables with a raised eyebrow. He didn't blame her. He thought the piles of golden apples as centerpieces were a little bit over the top too.

She looked up, and saw Toushirou at the doorway. She waved for him to come over, and he started towards her. He was halfway across the room when Ichigo came over and began to drag him to his seat at their table. Toushirou began to protest that he was going to see Karin, when Ichigo told him that they wanted to start with speeches so they needed to take their seats. Toushirou sighed in defeat, and then looked up to see Karin laughing at his near kidnap. He just grinned at her and then followed Ichigo. He took his seat between Yuzu and Yoruichi, and hoped that this wasn't going to be a long night.

Toushirou scanned the table he was sitting at, and noted that he was seated with Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin, Ichigo, Yuzu, Inoue, Ishida, Chad, Tatsuki and Yuzu. He could feel the migraine already just by looking at Isshin, Ichigo and Urahara.

Toushirou's gaze wandered to the main bridal party table and saw that the only people seated there were the happy couple and their bridesmaids and groomsmen. Karin was listening to Rukia talk and then nodded in agreement at whatever the younger Kuchiki had said. Suddenly silence fell over the room and Renji rose to give his best man speech.

Renji's speech was quirky, humourous and had the guests in stitches with many stories of the bride and groom. The speeches continued for nearly half an hour, and Toushirou found himself on the edge of falling asleep when Matsumoto announced that dinner was to be served. Servers dressed in black brought out their first course and placed it in front of the guests. Chatter began to build as the guests began to get into the swing of the wedding reception.

Toushirou began to feel dejected as the evening progressed, and he wasn't even allowed to get up and go talk to his own girlfriend. He decided not to worry, and ate his food in silence. As soon as the dance floor was opened, he would have Karin all to himself. He couldn't wait.

Karin was feeling trapped, every time she tried to get away from the table and try to go and see Toushirou, she would be roped into some or other inane conversation. Even when she got up and pretended that she wanted to go and use the bathroom, Rukia had tagged along and Karin actually had to go to the bathroom. So much for that excuse. She had survived the entire three-course meal, and couldn't wait for the formalities to be over with so she could go over and talk to her Shirou.

She was beginning to get irritated with the entire ordeal. It was beginning to get ridiculous. He was right there, a few tables away, and yet she hadn't been able to get within twenty feet of him. It was sad because she thought that he looking smoking hot in his white suit, and she just wanted to kiss him senseless. Blast these wedding formalities! Karin frowned and began to curse under her breath.

Finally Karin perked up as Matsumoto announced that they were going to open the dance floor with the newly married traditional first dance. She took her husband's hand and they danced an elegant waltz, oblivious to everybody else in the room. As soon as it was over Masumoto said that the next dance was going to be opened by the bridal party, and if everybody else wanted to join halfway through, they were welcome.

Karin groaned in annoyance. She loved Renji to bits, but she didn't dance that well and Toushirou somehow led so well that it made her look vaguely graceful. Renji offered her a hand, and she took it as they approached the dance floor.

"Just so you know. I suck at dancing." She muttered under her breath, and Renji chuckled.

"Me too, but we only have to survive half a dance." He teased, and they began to dance to the music.

"This sucks. I have barely seen Toushirou the whole night." Karin complained as she and Renji saved them from an embarrassing display of dancing by just dancing in a small circle. Renji nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I have barely seen Tatsuki either and she is going back tomorrow." He muttered, and as other couples began to float onto the dance floor Karin got a brilliant idea.

"Hey, I have a plan." She told Renji, and he looked interested all of a sudden. She whispered her idea in his ear and he nodded with a grin. Karin decided to put her plan into action, and waved at Toushirou to catch his attention. When he looked at her, she pointed at Tatsuki and made a shooing motion with her hand, telling him to ask her to dance. Toushirou caught on quickly, and rose from his seat and made his way over to Tatsuki to ask her to dance.

Tatsuki looked a little bit surprised, but when she looked at Renji, her boyfriend nodded at her and motioned for her join them on the dance floor. Tatsuki and Toushirou began to dance on the edges of the dance floor and then began to work their way over to where Renji and Karin were dancing. Karin waited until the two were close enough, and then Renji twirled her out in an elaborate move and grabbed Tatsuki just as Toushirou released the girl. Toushirou, with a sudden lack of a partner grabbed Karin as she ended her spin, and pulled her close as if he was scared she was going to be pulled out of his reach again.

Karin almost gasped when Toushirou pulled her into his arms, and buried his face into her neck and breathed out deeply. "I missed you." He told her, and she smiled. Putting her arms around him, she lay her head on his chest and sighed. It was nice to be this close after being separated for a majority of the wedding.

"I missed you too." She told him and they danced slowly for a little while. Toushirou doing his duty of making her look like a swan instead of a klutz. As the song ended, Karin suddenly began to feel claustrophobic in room full of rowdy people. She was tired of dealing with everybody else, and she just wanted to be alone with Toushirou.

"Hey, can we get out of here?" She asked him, and he just nodded before taking her by the hand and leading her through the crowd and out the door. Karin gripped Toushirou's fingers tightly and was glad when the noisy room gave way to a quiet balcony and the ever-peaceful garden. Leading her into the dark garden, she breathed in the fresh night air and felt almost dizzy with relief. Karin remembered why she hated social gatherings so much.

Toushirou sat down on the wooden stairs leading down to the garden, the same ones that he had led Matsumoto down a few hours before, and patted the wood beside him. Karin smiled and then plunked herself down beside him before she snuggled under his arm. Leaning against him, she could feel the warmth of his body as it seeped into her, warming her to the bone.

She was tired, and luckily the headache she had acquired from the loud reception party was slowly fading as she sat in his embrace.

"It is so freaking loud in there." Karin muttered and Toushirou chuckled at her clearly disgruntled complaint. He liked it when he had her in his arms and when she sighed and snuggled closer he felt shivers run down his spine.

"I agree. Please tell me that when we get married that we will do something smaller?" Toushirou told her nonchalantly, and Karin stiffened in his hold and then relaxed again.

"Was that you asking me to marry you?" Karin asked slowly and Toushirou paused and thought about it for a second. Karin was the only girl he had ever loved, or would ever love. Heaven knows he hadn't even thought about anything to do with women until he had met her, and her sitting here with him felt right. Also the thought of spending all eternity with his Karin was a rather appealing thought.

"I guess it is." He told her, and she laughed at him. "What?" He asked her, and she continued to grin, but turned to face him.

"That was probably the least romantic way anyone has ever proposed." She told him and he frowned. He never thought she was the get on bended knee type of girl.

"If you want I can get on bended knee?" He told her in all seriousness and she just laughed again, her onyx eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Nah, it's alright. Your absolute lack of charm and tact has succeeded in convincing me. As long as we can elope." She told him with a happy grin.

"So is that a yes?" He asked her and she didn't answer, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to kiss him, working her fingers into his hair. Toushirou found himself wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her up against his chest. Her kisses were like ambrosia and he never quite reached the point where he felt like he had had enough. They were lost in their kiss, and when they broke apart, they could only stare at each other with happy, goofy grins on their faces.

"So marriage it is?" She asked him, and he just nodded in agreement.

"I guess it is. Eloping. Don't tell Matsumoto or we will never hear the end of it." He told her and she laughed at his perfectly serious expression. They both knew not to mention anything about an engagement to anybody, or the next thing they knew it would be the second biggest event of the century. There was no way that Matsumoto would have her event upstaged.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, we are both a bit young to get married just yet. I'm theoretically still in high school. We _are_ getting married someday, but we won't set a date. One day I will just burst into your office and tell you today is the day and we can make a dash for the nearest Senkai Gate. Deal?" Karin told him their super secret plan, and he just laughed pulling her into his lap.

"Deal." He told her, and then deciding that they had done more than enough talking he pulled her into another deep kiss, because he would never get tired of his Karin.

Please Note:

Karin's Shikai release weapon was thought up out of my head, and if there really is a weapon like this then I had no idea. Karin's release call is 'Twist, Kirikiri Mai', and I do not own this. I added the Twist part, but the rest means Whirlwind Dance and comes from Naruto where it is Temari's summoning technique. I do not own Naruto, or it would be all about ShikaTema

Thanks for reading my final chapter of The View! For those of you who have been hunting my blood and telling me to update, I am sorry! (Hides under bed in shame.)

Please review! (I know that you really don't feel like it, but pretty please? With chocolate sprinkles?)

Oh yes! I have a new chapter story. A Hitsukarin too! It is an AU, and it set in a sort of Aladdin type setting. It is called The Genie of the Teapot. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think. There is also a picture done for it on Deviant Art, a collaboration between myself and HoneyBadger. So go look!

(What cheap advertising? I have no idea what you are talking about!)

Oh yes, I am also writing a ByaRan chapter story and I am looking for a geneia pig/lab rat to read it before I start posting it. So if you are a ByaRan fan and interested in reading it for me, not necessarily beta work, but just for advice reasons, PM me ok? Please and thank you!

SugarFox :) xoxox


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